Archives for April 2009

So last week, we asked about fishnet tights — and whether they were ever appropriate for the office. It turns out that we failed to account for something that a lot of people thought was an important factor: the width of the netting. (Our apologies!) With the caveat, then, that our poll was imperfect (hey, aren’t they all?), the results were:

– 60% of you said they were never appropriate
– 24% said only if worn as trouser socks
– 13% said they were fine so long as the skirt/outfit was demure enough
– only 1% had a laissez-faire attitude about fishnets.

Commenters noted that small-weaved fishnet tights added texture and style, and as long as the fabric was the color of your skin then it was acceptable for a casual day. One commenter (Style Goddess) felt so strongly hers were appropriate she sent in some pictures (above and at right) — we must agree, they look great on her. N.B.: Even those in favor of fishnets noted that these were not the accessory to choose the day you’ve got that court appearance, press conference, or stock holders’ meeting.

Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. We begin the week in splurge mode, with our most expensive suggestions, and wind our way to Friday, where a less expensive item of clothing might be just what you need to make it to the weekend.

We like this basic black sheath dress for today’s TPS. We like the pleating at the bust, the belt, and the appropriate, ladylike length of it — it’s perfect for pairing with jackets or cardigans year-round. We especially like that it’s on sale at Macy’s for $89 (was $129). (It’s available in petite, as well.) Calvin Klein Sleeveless Pleated Sheath Dress with Belt

This suit is, admittedly, a mixed bag. The pros: We love, love, love the shape of it. The skinnier pants, the longer jacket — if you can pull this off, you’ll look like a model. The cons: you generally must be SHAPED like a model in order to pull this off — also, the edge trimming is a bit too… funky for our tastes. But it is a designer suit, and certainly one you could wear to the office.Available at Yoox.com (size 6 only, bien sûr) for $395 (was $475). Galliano Spring-Summer Suit. Readers, please write in — have you seen any great suits lately? (Any suits in this cut?) [Read more…]

Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. We begin the week in splurge mode, with our most expensive suggestions, and wind our way to Friday, where a less expensive item of clothing might be just what you need to make it to the weekend.

It’s no secret we love a good sheath dress. Yet this one still stands out as something new and unexpected, if only because it’s such a great, sophisticated — yet young! — color to wear with, well, so many other jackets and cardigans. Gray, navy, black, beige — even dark purple if you’re feeling adventurous. $138 at Nordstrom’s. Donna Ricco Scoop Back Ponte Knit Sheath Dress

I’m a second-year law student and will be spending part of my summer interning for a government agency in Slovenia, and the rest at a study abroad program in London. My dilemma is that I only have a limited amount of space in my luggage (particularly due to the strict weight limits on European flights) and I need to pack for essentially three different trips: business, school, and backpacking (I’m going to be doing a lot of travel on the weekends). I’m lucky in that the place where I’ll be working only requires business casual, but considering that it is an Eastern European country, I don’t know quite what that might entail. I’m thinking I’ll definitely have to dress more conservatively than I would in the U.S. at the very least. Any suggestions would be welcome, particularly involving shirts I can wear to work and not look too dressy wearing them to school as well. My one limitation: please no button-ups! I’m what you would call a “busty” girl and button-ups never end well with me. Thank you so much for any advice you can give!

First: we must confess, we’ve never worked in Slovenia or backpacked through Europe. Very exciting… as a luggage problem. We would recommend investing in silk t-shirts. Not the sweater kind, but the kind that feel like nylon almost. These can be hard to find, and aren’t necessarily expensive — of the few that we have, one was purchased at an Henri Bendel sample sale, one at Off Fifth, and the others at the Limited about fifteen years ago (ouch). The great thing about these shirts is that they dry uber-fast — perfect for stuffing in your bag to go backpacking — yet because they’re silk they look great under a suit jacket. For example, check out the Eileen Fisher Cap Sleeve Silk Tee at Nordstrom (pictured at right) for $88. Be sure to check out places like Travel Smith, which specializes in fabrics that travel well, breathe easily, and wash and dry quickly. (They even have a new outlet section.) Check out their dress selection, especially — some of them will work both for the office as well as for a a restaurant meal while traveling, such as the Microfiber Dress (for $89). Be sure to check out camping and other specialty stores for pieces that can do double-duty — EMS (check out the knee-length ExOfficio Women’s Savvy Dress Up for $60), REI (check out the Acme Pants, on sale for $109 — be sure to try them on to make sure they don’t sound like track pants when you walk) and other similar places. [Read more…]

Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. We begin the week in splurge mode, with our most expensive suggestions, and wind our way to Friday, where a less expensive item of clothing might be just what you need to make it to the weekend.

This is a great kind of sweater to keep at the office all summer as an alternative to your trusty black blazer. It’s merino wool — way too heavy to wear outside in any weather above 70 degrees — but inside, where the airconditioning is blasting AND you’re sitting still, the warmth will be appreciated. Furthermore, merino wool keeps its shape better than cotton, cashmere, or silk, and this baby will still look structured and refined even after you’ve worn it for days at a time. We love the color, too — the light gray registers with us as season-appropriate, and gray has a way of matching everything (even other grays). It’s $170 at Saks.com. BCBGMAXAZRIA Merino Wool Cardigan